All Hallows' Eve - A Chilling Tale Of Warmth and Lovee
Part Two

Meanwhile in the parlour Melinda, Amanda and Natalia had gathered. They were wearing their best dresses.They had procured the trinket boxes from the attic and placed them in the center of the room, as usual. These were the same ones they found when they were children. The boxes their mother had thought were hidden. It was not what was in the boxes that was strange but what was not! This is how it all began.
They dimmed the lamps, lit the candles and sat waiting. Every All Hallows' Eve it was the same. Every All Hallows' Eve he appeared. Melinda and Natalia felt his presence. Amanda claimed to see him. She claimed each year he aged the same as they did. Great Aunt Agatha knew all about these "happenings" and she had severely cautioned them never to speak of this to their parents. She said their mother would be apoplectic. Now her portrait hung on the wall of the parlour. She was still there to oversee this sacred evening...if only from the spirit world.
As usual the sun set and as usual he appeared.
Not as usual this year... all the girls saw him. For Amanda this was like seeing an old friend. For Natalia and Melinda this was enlightening to say the least. They both felt ashamed that they had doubted their sister.Their hearts leapt with both joy and fear. He began to reach out toward Amanda.
Then as quickly as he came he began to fade. All the girls reached out to him. He had a warm and sad but benign presence. After he was gone the girls sat in silence in a state of torpor vigil.
The clocked ticked away the minutes and slowly they all returned to a more normal state. Their hearts beat once again in rhythm to the ticking.
But what was this... in Amanda's hand. A rose bud and there were more strewn on the floor where he had stood.Then knock... Knock... Knock... Knock!!!!! Great Aunt Agatha's portrait came crashing to the floor at this same moment.

To be continued...

Part three